Bright burning flares, padre said prayers Billy broke down whatever shell fire immense Smoke red and dense, one last showdown together. Rain runs rivers into flood Shattered bones, pools of blood We knelt together in the mud All for each other.

I'm not ashamed to say I cried The day the lads were crucified We fought together side by side All for each other. Billy caught one in the eye He took at least one hour to die I held his hand, just him and I All for each other.

Life was never meant like this I'd love to give my girl a kiss The last words Billy said were I miss her. Home is where the heart was ever Where a single church bell tolls Bounded by a field of poppies Each one bears a thousand souls.

Home is where the heart was ever City, town or countryside Where the spirits of the fallen Live forever, named with pride.

Strawbs are an English rock band founded in Led throughout by talented musician Dave Cousins, they are best-known for their folk-rock and progressive rock albums of the s and for including Sandy Denny as an early member of the band before she joined Fairport Convention and Rick Wakeman for two albums before he moved on to Yes.

Strawbs were originally known as the Strawberry Hill Boys. Their long-time leader and most active songwriter is guitarist and singer Dave Cousins guitar Read Full Bio Strawbs are an English rock band founded in Their long-time leader and most active songwriter is guitarist and singer Dave Cousins guitar, dulcimer, banjo, vocals born David Joseph Hindson, 7 January, , in Hounslow, Middlesex.

Although they started out in the sixties as a bluegrass band, the Strawberry Hill Boys' repertoire soon shifted to favour their own mainly Cousins' material.

Although that first single was issued in the U. Their third album, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios, the first to have a US release, was taken from that concert.

Wakeman stayed with them for one further album, From the Witchwood, then departed to join Yes, being replaced by Blue Weaver who had previously been with Amen Corner and Fairweather.

This lineup produced what many feel to be the archetypal Strawbs album Grave New World, before yet another change, the departure of founding member Hooper, who was replaced by rocker Dave Lambert, formerly of Fire and the King Earl Boogie Band.

The first single with Lambert on board, "Lay Down", hit the UK charts at number 12, followed by a single from the album penned by Ford and Hudson, "Part of the Union", which went up to number 2.

The album Bursting at the Seams also reached number 2 in the album charts and the band undertook a date UK tour to packed houses.

This line-up recorded Hero and Heroine and Ghosts, and tended to concentrate on the North American market with relatively little touring in the UK.

Strawbs still retain a great fan-base today in the US and Canada. Signed to the Deep Purple-owned Oyster label, they recorded two more albums with two keyboardists replacing Hawken — Robert Kirby, also known for his string arrangements notably Nick Drake and John Mealing of jazz-rock group If.

Coombes was replaced by Tony Fernandez for a further album Deadlines, this time on the Arista label. The Grave New World line-up plus Brian Willoughby who had replaced Lambert when he left in during the making of Heartbreak Hill, and had also begun a partnership with Dave Cousins as an acoustic duo from onwards went on from there to perform occasionally in the UK, US and Europe over the next few years, replacing Weaver with Chris Parren from the Hudson Ford band and Ford himself when he relocated to the US with bass player Rod Demick.

The final line-up of the night — the Bursting at the Seams line-up plus Willoughby — became the ongoing version of the band, with annual tours in , and Willoughby was replaced by Chas Cronk when Willoughby left in to spend more time working with his partner Cathryn Craig.

Chas has brought bass and bass pedals, which further add to the depth of the Acoustic Strawbs sound. They dabbled with s style music in as 'High Society' before returning to the pseudo-punk format of The Monks for a follow-up album released in Canada only, Suspended Animation, with the addition of Brian Willoughby on guitar and Chris Parren on keyboards.

While the album failed to produce further UK chart success, the band were huge in Canada particularly, playing stadium gigs; Suspended Animation went platinum in Canada too.

The CD re-release of Suspended Animation includes six bonus tracks, recorded for a third album but never before released, by Hudson, Ford and Cassidy — Huw Gower guests on one track on lead guitar.

All details of Strawbs' activity and that of ex-members can be found at the official website. A link can also be found to the Yahoo Strawbs-related discussion group called "Witchwood", together with links to "Witchwood Records" where the band's products and related merchandise such as band members' solo projects can be purchased.

Although they started out in the sixties as a bluegrass band, the Strawberry Hill Boys' repertoire soon shifted to favour their own mainly Cousins' material.

Although that first single was issued in the U. Their third album, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios, the first to have a US release, was taken from that concert.

Wakeman stayed with them for one further album, From the Witchwood, then departed to join Yes, being replaced by Blue Weaver who had previously been with Amen Corner and Fairweather.

This lineup produced what many feel to be the archetypal Strawbs album Grave New World, before yet another change, the departure of founding member Hooper, who was replaced by rocker Dave Lambert, formerly of Fire and the King Earl Boogie Band.

The first single with Lambert on board, "Lay Down", hit the UK charts at number 12, followed by a single from the album penned by Ford and Hudson, "Part of the Union", which went up to number 2.

The album Bursting at the Seams also reached number 2 in the album charts and the band undertook a date UK tour to packed houses.

This line-up recorded Hero and Heroine and Ghosts, and tended to concentrate on the North American market with relatively little touring in the UK.

Strawbs still retain a great fan-base today in the US and Canada. Signed to the Deep Purple-owned Oyster label, they recorded two more albums with two keyboardists replacing Hawken — Robert Kirby, also known for his string arrangements notably Nick Drake and John Mealing of jazz-rock group If.

Coombes was replaced by Tony Fernandez for a further album Deadlines, this time on the Arista label. The Grave New World line-up plus Brian Willoughby who had replaced Lambert when he left in during the making of Heartbreak Hill, and had also begun a partnership with Dave Cousins as an acoustic duo from onwards went on from there to perform occasionally in the UK, US and Europe over the next few years, replacing Weaver with Chris Parren from the Hudson Ford band and Ford himself when he relocated to the US with bass player Rod Demick.

The final line-up of the night — the Bursting at the Seams line-up plus Willoughby — became the ongoing version of the band, with annual tours in , and Willoughby was replaced by Chas Cronk when Willoughby left in to spend more time working with his partner Cathryn Craig.

Chas has brought bass and bass pedals, which further add to the depth of the Acoustic Strawbs sound. They dabbled with s style music in as 'High Society' before returning to the pseudo-punk format of The Monks for a follow-up album released in Canada only, Suspended Animation, with the addition of Brian Willoughby on guitar and Chris Parren on keyboards.

While the album failed to produce further UK chart success, the band were huge in Canada particularly, playing stadium gigs; Suspended Animation went platinum in Canada too.

The CD re-release of Suspended Animation includes six bonus tracks, recorded for a third album but never before released, by Hudson, Ford and Cassidy — Huw Gower guests on one track on lead guitar.

All details of Strawbs' activity and that of ex-members can be found at the official website. A link can also be found to the Yahoo Strawbs-related discussion group called "Witchwood", together with links to "Witchwood Records" where the band's products and related merchandise such as band members' solo projects can be purchased.

Recently Since Strawbs have been recording and touring in two formats: The line-up undertook two tours in Release of a live DVD recorded at the Robin 2, Bilston in March is hoped for before too long delays owing to licensing difficulties.

For that particular recording, and other concerts on the same tour, vocalist and bass player John Ford member of an earlier Strawbs line-up flew over from New York to perform with members of the Hero and Heroine line-up.

The remaining four members the Nomadness line up continued as the core of the electric band. In autumn Strawbs released a long-awaited 4-disc boxed set called A Taste of Strawbs which has been well-received - several reviews can be read at Strawbs website http: Along with the album, Cousins toured the US in Spring , joined by Ian Cutler for the early part of the tour , a concert album from this tour, entitled Duochrome, was released in September Details can be found at www.

Strawbs celebrated their 40th anniversary at Twickenham Stadium Sept. The latest incarnation of the band with Oliver Wakeman on keys released a studio album Dancing to the Devil's Beat in late Coombes has educational commitments, and Wakeman is committed to recording a new Yes album For these tours: As of 16 August , it has not been announced whether these changes are just for these tours, or whether this represents a new permanent line-up for the band.

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